Herriott



May 21, 1957 p. HERR|0TT 2,792,840

SMOKING PIPE COMPOSITION AND PROCESS OF' MAKING SAME Filed May 14. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

y 21, 1957 P. HERRIOTT 2,792,840

SMOKING PIPE COMPOSITION AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Filed May 14, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 process of manufacture.

SMOKING PIPE COMPOSITION AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Paul Herriott, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 14, 1954, Serial No. 429,911

5 Claims. (Cl. 131-172) This invention relates to a new composition of matter adapted particularly for use in the manufacture of bowls for smoking pipes, such as tobacco pipes, the product and One object is to provide a composition from which a light weight pipe may be made, the pipe being porous in structure, heat resistant, a pipe that is air cooled and that in use does not bite the tongue; the term heat resistant as here used meaning possessing the ability to withstand the temperature normally encountered in the bowl of a smoking pipe in use without undergoing any substantial physical or chemical change.

A further object is to provide a smoking pipe wherein the heat of the burning tobacco is absorbed in the pipe or dissipated before it can reach the mouth of the smoker and one wherein the pipe bowl does not get hot. Another object is to provide a pipe that is breakage resistant and durable in use, in handling, shipping, storage, etc., that is buoyant in water, that is capable of absorbing a great amount of moisture from the pipe bowl thus positively preventing a wet heel or deposit in the bowl bottom.

A further object is to provide a smokig pipe that due to its composition does not require breaking in before normal use is possible, a pipe that is inexpensive to manufacture and durable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description, defined in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this disclosure, and wherein:

Fig. l is an exploded elevational view of a pipe and jacket therefor in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the pipe.

Fig. 3 is an open view of the jacket employed.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a retort and retort house of a type that may be employed in the manufacture.

Fig. 5 is a view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and,

Fig. 6 is a view of the product.

In the instant composition the material used in by far the greatest proportion is natural limestone (calcium carbonate) which is to give the desired buoyancy and porosity as well as to provide the heat dissipating quality, the limestone being in small pieces. I use also in small proportion magnesium carbonate (MgCOs) which provides a heat refractory and insulation means. Another ingredient of the composition is sodium carbonate (NazCOa) providing a milk alkali. A small amount of phosphorous is employed also for the purpose of increasing the porosity of the product. In addition to the foregoing I employ silica (sand) for its adsorbent qualities, and finally to a small degree I use iron for hardness, rigidity, and to counteract in some degree the limestone brittleness. In carrying out the manufacture I employ:

nited States Patent 2,792,840- Patented May 21, 1957 The ingredients in substantially the above proportions are placed or fed into a single retort and heated to approximately 3000" F., as by preheated gas, which temperature is held for approximately four hours and the mixture then evacuated from the retort through a water bath into a container thus causing the product to flufi up and attain a maoaroon consistency. The product is received in the container as a creamy composition and the water constantly being added causes the product to finally again solidify, the length of time during which the composition remains in the container determining its weight, a relatively heavy product resulting from water immersion of one hour or somewhat longer. The material is now ready to be machined into pipe form and may be conventionally encased in :a metal jacket.

The ingredients, all at the same time, are fed into an apparatus of the type illustrated in Figs. 4 through 6, wherein a retort house 1 here shown cylindrical in shape, having a contracted neck 2 and outlet stack 3, and lined with fire brick 4 is provided, the apparatus having an inlet chute 5 for the material leading into the retort 6 from which an outlet chute 7 extends through the wall of the house 1, a vertically adjustable gate 8 carried by said house serving to control the flow of material, the discharge port of the retort being opened and/ or closed by a gate 9 extending out through said house and provided with a handle 10 for manual operation, a gate 11 carried by said house serving to control the flow of material through the intake chute 5.

Mounted to the discharge chute 7 outside the house 1 is a water supply pipe 12 discharging into the chute at a point adjacent the chute outer terminal, the latter located immediately above a container or large receptacle 13 into which the material after being processed is received. Gas for the retort is supplied through the pipe 14.

Previous to feeding the material into the inlet chute 5 the ingredients are intimately mixed in the proportions enumerated and, with the gate 11 open, it passes into the retort 6, the temperature of which is 3000 F. where it remains for approximately four hours whereupon the discharge gate 9 is opened, by handle 10, and the material allowed to pass into the chute through which it flows, directly beneath the pipe 12, to and out the discharge end of the chute into the receptacle.

A batch of approximately 700 pounds of the material is fed into the retort upon a bed of 300 pounds of coke disposed upon a layer of fire wood or kindling which has been ignited and preheated gas is now fed through the pipe 14 into the retort, this fuel having been ignited immediately before the introduction of the material and after temperature of 3000 F. is attained which temperature is maintained, as previously stated, for a period of approximately four hours.

The molten material, a creamy mass when it leaves the retort, vaporizes the water discharged upon it, this treatment accounting for porosity of the product, the amount of water used determining the degree of porosity, the greater the quantity of water used the more porous is the product. This product after solidifying is taken from the container 13 in pieces of various sizes, from three to ten inches in diameter, as the finished product and from same the pipe forms are cut with the machines now conventionally used in cutting briar pipe forms and the hinged jacket 15 applied, if desired, in conventional manner. The chute 7 is of such shape that passage of the material therethrough will cause the product 16 to assume substantially the cylindrical shape as in Fig. 6.

What is claimed is:

1. Composition of matter, particularly for bowls of smoking pipes, comprising approximately ninety-eight percent by weight of limestone intimately mixed with approximately thirty one-hundredths of one percent magnesium carbonate, ten one-hundredths of one percent each of sodium carbonate and phosphorous, one percent silica, and one-half of one percent iron.

2. Composition of matter, particularly for bowls of smoking pipes, said composition of matter comprising non-crystallized limestone, magnesium carbonate, sodium carbonate, phosphorous, silica and iron, said sodium carbonate and phosphorous in amount ten one-hundredth of one percent each, and a similar small percentage only of said silica and iron, said ingredients being intimately mixed.

3. A process for manufacturing smoking pipes comprising; intimately mixing substantially ninety-eight percent limestone with thirty one-hundredths of one percent magnesium carbonate, ten one-hundredths of one percent each of sodium carbonate and phosphorous, one percent silica and one-half of one percent iron, heating the composition of a creamy mass at 3000 F. and maintaining this temperature for four hours, discharging the product into a Water bath and removing the product when solidified, in pieces suitable for machining into pipe form.

4. A process for manufacturing smoking pipes comprising: intimately mixing substantially ninety-eight percent limestone with less than one percent of a heat refractory and insulation medium with one-tenth of one percent sodium carbonate and phosphorous, one percent silica and less than one percent iron, heating this composition to a creamy mass and maintaining same for four hours, discharging the product into the atmosphere in a water bath and thereafter allowing same to solidify.

5. A process for manufacturing smoking pipes comprising: intimately mixing substantially ninety-eight percent limestone with thirty one-hundredths of one percent magnesium carbonate as a heat refractory and insulation medium, ten one-hundredths of a mild alkali and a like proportion of phosphorous, one percent silica as an adsorbent, and one-half of one percent of a hardening medium, heating the composition to a creamy mass at 3000 F. and maintaining this temperature for four hours, and discharging the product into a water bath precipitation and finally in a water container to solidify.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 538,568 Westphal Apr. 30, 1895 

1. COMPOSITION OF MATTER, PARTICULARLY FOR BOWLS OF SMOKING PIPES, COMPRISING APPROXIMATELY NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF LIMESTONE INTIMATELY MIXED WITH APPROXIMATELY THIRTY ONE-HUNDREDTHS OF ONE PERCENT MAGNESIUM CARBONATE, TEN ONE-HUNDREDTHS OF ONE PERCENT EACH OF SODIUM CARBONATE AND PHOSPHOROUS, ONE PERCENT SILICA, AND ONE-HALF OF ONE PERCENT IRON. 